♪♪ >> Eric: GOVERNOR WALZ ON THE ROAD AGAIN THIS WEEK ON A NATIONAL SPEAKING TOUR THAT IS ABOUT TO GET INTERNATIONAL.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER ANALYZES THE GOVERNOR'S LATEST STEPS WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S SEEN A SIMILAR SITUATION BEFORE.

>> JOIN ME IN WELCOMING GOVERNOR TIM WALZ.

>> THANK YOU ALL.

>> IT WAS A CHALLENGING AUDIENCE BACK HOME IN MINNESOTA FOR THE GOVERNOR.

>> THERE'S SOME PASSION IN THE BUILDING, WHICH IS A GOOD THING!

>> WALZ, WHO IS A VETERAN, FACED HECKLERS.

>> YOU'RE A COWARD!

>> SPEAKING TO VETERANS DAY ON THE HILL, BUT HE STOOD HIS GROUND.

>> I WILL COMPROMISE WITH YOU ON THE BUDGET.

I WILL NOT COMPROMISE IN THE SPACE OF THE VETERANS ISSUES.

>> HE WON OVER SOME IN THE CROWD AND HAD TOUGH TALK ON NATIONAL POLITICS.

>> 83,000 OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE LAID OFF AND FIRED.

[ BOOING ] WELL, SOME OF YOU VOTED FOR IT.

I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOUR POLITICS ARE ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT HOW THE HELL WE GOT INTO AN ISSUE WHERE WE WEREN'T UNIFIED ABOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR VETERANS.

>> THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO AFACE REALITY, SOME OF THESE GUYS VOTED FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE V.A.

AND THEY DON'T LIKE IT.

>> I HAVE FLIP-FLOPPED ON THIS ISSUE MORE THAN DONALD TRUMP CHANGES HIS MIND TARIFFS.

A FEW MONTHS AGO I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU ABSOLUTELY GOVERNOR WALZ WILL RUN FOR REELECTION.

IT WAS BE HOMEWORK TO SERVE A THIRD TERM.

I THINK IT WOULD ALSO KEEP HIM IN THE CONVERSATION AND IN THE MIX AS HE CARRIES RUNNING FOR -- CONSIDERS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

>> WE CREATED A CHECKLIST OF A CANDIDATE RAMPING UP OR A FEDERAL RUN AS OUR EXPERIENCE IN SEEING TIM PAWLENTY MAKE A SIMILAR MOVE.

>> BEFORE RETURNING TO THE STATE CAPITOL GOVERNOR WALZ SPENT THREE DAYS IN THE SWING STATE OF OHIO TALKING NATIONAL POLITICS.

>> MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ!

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> WHAT I HEARD IN OHIO IS FASCIFASCINATING, YOUNGSTOWN.

THEY HAD AN OVERFLOW IN THE GYM OF 1200.

I ASKED THEM HOW MANY HAD EVER BEEN TO THESE POLITICAL EVENTS, 75% OF THEM HAVEN'T BEEN.

>> I'M TERRIBLY SORRY I'LL BE ABLE TO TO ATTEND YOUR PATHETIC SPECTACLE IN PERSON ON MONDAY.

[ BOOING ] IT'S JUST I'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, MY SKILL SET'S PRETTY NATURE AEW BUT I KIND OF -- NARROW, BUT I KIND OF SEE THIS, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO COME BACK AND BITE HIM IN THE ASS AT ONE POINT IN TIME.

SO.

>> THESE TRIPS COME DURING A CLOSELY DIVIDED SESSION.

>> GOVERNOR WALZ DOES RUN THE RISK OF UPSETTING LEGISLATORS BY NOT LOOKING LIKE THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE THING, THE ONLY THING HE'S FOCUSED ON.

>> MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ!

>> WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE SAYING IS WE WANT TO BE HEARD, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY, WE WANT TO KNOW ESPECIALLY ABOUT TITLE FOUNDING IN EDUCATION, WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH TARIFFS AT THAT TIME IN OHIO.

>> HELLO AGAIN, OHIOANS, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.

>> THERE'S A DEMAND FOR THESE CONVERSATIONS AND FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND RALLY THE TROOPS AND GET PEOPLE FIRED UP AND GIVE DEMOCRATS A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE AGAIN.

>> AND NOW WE GOT THE GOVERNOR TO REVEAL HE HAS AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP PLANNED.

>> I HAVE BEEN INVITED AND I THINK I'M GOING TO BE IN TORONTO WITH PREMIER FORD.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO STRENGTHEN SOME OF THAT TRADE THAT'S AN INVITATION I THINK I'M GOING TO TAKE.

I THINK THERE IS A CASE TO BE MADE THAT MINNESOTA, MAYBE OTHER THAN MAINE IS THE CLOSEST STATE IN TERMS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CANADA.

IT IS THE SINGLE LARGEST TRADING PARTNER FOR MINNESOTA BUSINESSES.

WE KIND OF RIGHT ON THE EDGE, WE'VE GOT A BIG BORDER WITH CANADA.

>> THE FORMER GUBERNATORIAL SPOKESMAN NOW IN PUBLIC RELATIONS HAS A WARNING ABOUT THE TALK OF A SHADOW GOVERNMENT.

>> TALKING ABOUT THE IDEA OF A SHADOW GOVERNMENT IS PROBABLY NOT A GREAT MESSAGE.

FIRST OF LL, TALKING ABOUT SHADOWY THINGS IS PROBABLY NOT GONNA THROW PEOPLE OFF A BIT.

YOU CAN'T REALLY PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT.

>> THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CLEARLY IS NOT GIVING UP THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.

>> AND THEN I WANT TO TRY ALLIGATOR SOUP, DO YOU HAVE THAT?

THE ALLIGATOR SOUP, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU GET IN MINNESOTA.

>> I FEEL LIKE HE'S ONE OF US.

I FEEL LIKE HE'S IN THE TRENCHES WITH US, HE GETS IT, AND HE KNOWS WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO DIG OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.

>> WHEN I CRITICIZE, I'M CRITICIZING MYSELF, I OWN THIS, I'M PART OF THE TICKET.